Page 81 of Scorching the Alien Empire (The Klendathian Cycle #7)

Alexandra

Chaos

H atred burns through my veins, molten and seething, like rivers of bubbling lava. The silver-red mist of my divinity spills from my eyes, curling into the air like storm clouds before a tempest. Beneath the heat of my clenched fists and flushed skin, elation simmers.

I love this.

The power. The control. The thrill of wiping that smug, insufferable look off Drex-iot’s face.

With a flick of my wrist, my silvery barriers slam into him.

His grunt of pain is delicious, the sound ripping from his throat as the force crushes him inch by inch toward the black marble wall.

His black armor groans under the pressure, metal scraping as his claws scratch desperately at the surface.

Look at him. Face smushed, pinned, his pathetic hands scrabbling against the wall. Like some ugly, oversized green-furred cat, trapped in a pet carrier, frantically clawing to escape its fate at the vet—neutering day.

Feral animals should have their claws removed, after all.

“You dare insult me, the Divine Daughter? And worse—you mock my father, Arawnoth?” The words hiss through my clenched teeth as I stalk closer, each step echoing against the polished floor. His boots scrape uselessly, leaving faint trails against the stone.

But I’m not done.

“Oh, and let’s not forget,” I sneer, “when you threw that fucking jelly stick wrapper at my head!”

The memory stokes my fury, my control tightening with a single thought. The barriers constrict, his red eye bulging as I squeeze.

I will never be anyone’s victim again.

“Berserkers, restrain her!” Dracoth, the rude prick commands from my throne, sounding strained by whatever meathead thing he’s doing, even though I’ve already protected the ship. Saved us all.

Typical, even he turns against me. I shouldn’t be surprised. This always happens to me—abandonment and betrayal. He’s obviously just jealous. Just like all my old so-called friends. Jealous of my power, my control, he’s fading from the Gods’ graces while their love for me grows stronger.

It doesn’t matter. I don’t need him anymore.

Oh, I’ll keep him around, of course. The bond demands it, and he can be useful when it suits me. But let’s be honest: I am the one in charge now.

My eyes flick to the bone-through-the-noses lining the walls like tacky statues. I smirk seeing them hesitate, their ash- smeared faces laced with doubt, flicking between each other, the hamster wheels turning in their thick skulls.

My poor, simple Dracoth. They belong to me now.

“You soldiers should relax.” My voice drips with honeyed certainty, a promise woven in molten steel. “Arawnoth commands it.”

As I speak, my fingers trace the flaring runic blessing seared into my chest and neck. The symbols pulse with divine fire.

“That would be the biggest help,” I purr.

The effect is immediate.

Armor clinks in unison as they snap into rigid formation, backs straight, eyes forward. Loyal to me, loyal to Arawnoth’s molten strength.

How wonderful! My heart soars like never before.

Aenarael, are you watching? Are you proud of me, Mother?

I close my eyes for a moment, arms outstretched, drinking it in. Savoring the feeling like a sip of the finest Dom Pérignon.

Then he speaks.

“Like... I said... she’s a... voiding liability,” Drexios croaks followed by choking laughter, the sound strained like it’s coming through a whoopee cushion.

“Shut the hell up!” I snarl, eyes snapping open, fury crackling through my veins.

How is he even speaking? I have him squeezed like an orange in a juicer.

“You’re the liability! A useless smelly dog that bites the hand that feeds it!”

With a flick of my wrist, the barriers crush backward.

The impact slams him into the wall with a sickening thud, armor grinding against stone. A grunt escapes his lips, sharp with pain. Still, the rude prick smirks.

Ugh! He’s so fucking annoying!

“Oh...” He gasps, voice ragged, but there’s something mocking in the way he forces the sound. “...never knew... you cared so much.”

A wet, rasping chuckle.

“That’s it, Pinkie ... good and hard...”

Oh, for Gods’ sake. Maybe I should summon a shield just for his mouth.

Instead, I tighten the barriers—a vice of divinity about to pop him like an overgrown zit. His armor groans under the pressure. The tendons in his neck strain like grotesque red worms, his fangs biting into his lip until green blood wells up.

“That’s it... kill me in cold blood... show us who you really are.” He rasps, followed by more grotesque laughter, the sound echoing like a mocking ghost of Christmas regret in the thick silence.

My gaze falters, his words like freezer burn against the flames of my fury.

I only wanted to make him stop—to teach him the respect I deserve. But he just keeps bullying me! I can’t kill him? Can I?

Before I can answer the thought, the ship rumbles. The floor beneath my feet bucks violently, tilting as if we’ve been hurled into a spin cycle during an earthquake.

I stumble, catching myself against the obsidian throne. The jagged rock bites into my palms. Even Todd digs his wee booties into my shoulder to keep from being fired off like the world’s cutest rubber bullet.

Did my shields drop? Are we about to die?

The ship shudders violently, my head whipping around like a bobblehead in a hurricane. Through the jarring motion, I manage to catch a glimpse of the holographic control panel. Lights flash like a rave in a disco inferno, and alarms are blaring like I’m five hours late for school.

Todd clings to my Sock-Chair cloak like a spindly little barnacle, letting out a distinctly judgmental croak that sounds suspiciously like, I told you so!

Another jolt slams through the ship, and I swear my stomach is trying to escape through my ears. This rollercoaster from hell is the worst gift that keeps on giving.

Through the viewport are the swirling hues of confetti-speed stretching across the void—thankfully no longer featuring the terrifying, constant near-death dance with the massive floating space turds. Oh, no, that nightmare was so five minutes ago. Now, the view has changed.

Outside, an expanding ring of searing blue fire erupts through the darkness, carrying shattered chunks of metal, the remains of the murder-orbs and shattered asteroids. Enough to make a scrapyard jealous.

The wreckage pelts against the shields like boulders hurled by Arawnoth himself, each impact rocking the ship like it’s a cosmic cradle turned gravestone.

Just as I open my mouth to yell something sensible—like “Abandon ship!”—the vibrations suddenly stop.

The fiery wave dissipates into the void. Silence follows, eerie and absolute, broken only by the low hum of the engines and the sharp whine of the shield generators struggling to recharge.

Then. A sharp, metallic thud echoes through the chamber. A sound like a meteorite crashing against stone.

I stiffen. The hairs on my arms rise as a shadow looms over me.

A presence. I tilt my head up.

Mr. Frowny Face, looking very, very frowny as he stares down, eyes burning crimson, his expression darker than the abyss beyond the viewport.

“Release him,” Dracoth commands, his voice rolling through the chamber like distant thunder. His arm lifts in an unmistakable gesture toward Drexios, still crushed against the wall, pinned beneath my divine force.

A shiver flutters down my spine—not of fear, but something else entirely. The power, the authority, the sheer weight of his meathead presence...

If only there was real fire beneath it.

The Lexie-moths in my stomach flutter for a moment before dying off. It would be hot—if it weren’t so impotent. Cute in a pitiful way, like a teacup Chihuahua thinking it’s a dragon.

I let out a delighted gasp, dripping with mock relief.

“Oh, babes! Such a relief you were able to save us from all those murder-bots.”

Sliding closer, I lift my arms, eyes peering up beneath fluttering lashes.

“My big, strong—”

His massive gorilla hand clamps down on my shoulder, fingers like unyielding steel beams of destruction.

I stop mid-step, my face twitching.

Rude. Prick.

“Release him. Now!” He insists, his scowl reminding me of the time the principal caught me cheating on my exams.

Ugh, I’m so over this.

I’m not that same Lexie anymore. Not the girl I was back on Earth. Not even the person I was when Dracoth first kidnapped me. No. I am so much more. The Divine Daughter. Surrounded by mortals.

A thrill surges in my chest. My eyes narrow, lips curling into a smirk. “Make me,” I challenge, nearly laughing at the absurdity—this ten-foot mountain of muscle helpless before me.

His hands clench, bones creaking, tension radiating from his body in waves of alluring heat.

That’s it, Dracoth. Get angry. Summon Arawnoth’s flames. Burn me with his love again.

“Do it!” I sneer, slapping his black-metal armor, the gem-infused plating warm beneath my palm. “Do it! Burn me. Prove we belong together!” My breath comes fast, ragged, the anticipation coiling inside me. “I need his heat, his love! Please, Dracoth—burn me!”

His eyes flicker.

Then, they falter.

Disappointing. Pathetic.

Just a basic man now. So boring.

Through our bond, I feel his pain ripple back to me, but it only deepens my disgust. The disdain I can’t hide anymore makes me shudder. I wouldn’t be surprised if cries about this too.

They say never judge a book by its cover... but he promised so much more than an inexperienced crybaby who can’t even keep his wee sparklers up.

“Princesa...” His voice wavers as his hand rises toward me.

“Don’t touch me, you creeper!” I snap, slapping his hand away, the notion is revolting like wiggling sausages against my skin.

He inhales slowly, deeply, before straightening, his expression hardening, the shadows around him seeming to grow deeper.